SHARON PLUNGES INTO REAL ESTATE /
GRACE IBUNA ON BEING A MISTRESSMANILA,
MARCH 14, 2012 (BULLETIN)
By NR RAMOS - Actress-singer Sharon Cuneta is eager to add
another notch to her seemingly ever-widening belt – that of property
mogul.

The actress, herself, revealed so in a recent interview, saying it's
the fulfillment of a longtime dream. Already, she has acquired several
properties including one in an area near Tomas Morato, where she plans
to build several townhouses.

More, Cuneta divulged having bought a two-hectare oceanfront property
in Bohol that she aims to develop into a retirement village. Another
recent investment is an eight-hectare property in Palawan.

In the same interview, the 46-year old denied having an interest in
politics saying that she doesn’t have what it takes to last in such a
“cynical” arena. Cuneta, who is married to Sen. Francis Pangilinan,
insists that having one politician in the family is enough.

That said, Cuneta lavishes praises on several colleagues who have
made inroads in politics including Vilma Santos, governor of Batangas.

Prior, Cuneta signed a long-term contract with media giant TV5 in
hopes of reinvigorating her TV career. The deal, rumored to have
amounted to a billion pesos, is said to be the biggest ever in the
history of local show business.

[PHOTO - Grace Ibuna recounted how things 'happened so fast'
when Iggy took his last breath]

MANILA, Philippines – The death of Negros Occidental representative
Ignacio “Iggy” Ibuna on Jan. 26 due to cirrhosis of the liver has thrust
Grace Ibuna into the spotlight---and on the receiving end of malicious
remarks from the public as well as from his wife Aleli Arroyo.

Finally on "The Buzz," March 11, Grace reveals her side of the
“truth” to “straighten out things.”

Asked by host Boy Abunda why she finally granted the interview, Grace
said she wanted to be “consistent” with her promise to give Iggy a
“dignified” burial.

Recall that when news of the congressman’s death reached the country,
a rumor came out that it was Grace—his live-in partner for six years—who
allegedly “pulled the plug” that ended Iggy’s life.

To this, she replied with conviction, “Boy there’s no such thing. I
have documents to show that…the rules of London are very different. It
is not the call of any family member to stop the medication [which the
patient is receiving] or to ‘unplug’ [the life support]. In fact, there
was no plug.”

She even recounted how things “happened so fast” when Iggy took his
last breath.

“Halos lumuhod ako sa doctor, Boy, para pakiusapan sila na gawin
lahat. But they said they did everything,” she said in between long
pauses.

Another issue that Aleli supposedly complained about was how Grace
purportedly “misrepresented” herself as “Mrs. Arroyo” and even
identifying herself as the “next of kin” in a certain document that had
to be filled out after Iggy passed away.

She admitted that, though she’s “aware” that she’s not a mistress,
being as considered one "hurts" not only her but her parents.

Grace likewise addressed the other pressing rumor that she’s only
after Iggy’s wealth.

Grace countered this accusation by saying, “Hindi kami mga Ayala o
mga Zobel, or mga Gokongwei or mga Sy at Tan, but I have two
hard-working parents. We lived well. Lumaki kami nang maayos at hindi
rin naman kami mahirap but, you know, we lived a very comfortable life.
We’re all working. We are all entrepreneurs. Mabait ang Diyos sa amin.”

Many times, in the news, Grace was seen seemingly “in good terms”
with the two, older daughters of Iggy: Bianca Arroyo-Tantoco and Dina
Arroyo. In fact, there’ve also been rumors that Grace allegedly
brainwashed the two to turn against Aleli.

Controversy aside, the same daughters claimed that they are not
siding with either of the two women in Iggy's life. What they pointed
out in their past interviews was that they've witnessed how Grace
“loved” and “cared” for their father very much.

Asked how much she “loved” the late congressman, Grace's,
straightforward response was: “He was my life.”

In her “Buzz” interview last week, Grace’s eldest daughter Garrie
Concepcion tearfully recalled how much her “Dada” loved them. With this,
Boy asked Grace why she thinks her children loved Iggy so much.

“We were a family, Boy, plain and simple. We were an unorthodox
family, but we were a family,” Grace underscored.

She even shared that her youngest daughter even “volunteered” to give
her liver in order for her Dada to live.

According to her, everyday that she was with Iggy was their “best
time” together. But the darkest and most challenging times in their
relationship came when Iggy had to undergo treatment for his disease.

“The treatment was a radical treatment, specifically to cure that
particular disease. And there would be days that he was okay and there
were days that he was not. May mga side effects kasi 'yung gamot that
was really bad.

“Why so soon? I’ll miss you everyday of my life. And thank you, thank
you sa lahat lahat. Salamat for giving me the best years of my life and
I was blessed and I want to thank God for it," she directed her message
to Iggy.